Author note: I do not own Yakitate! Japan or Meister Kirisaki.

I don't usually write monologues (in fact, this is probably the second one I have ever written), but looking back on some old PMs between me and Bite the Dust, I realized a lot of things about the characters that I didn't see in the beginning. So...yes, I suppose you can probably guess that this fic was inspired by those PMs.

Warning: Possible spoilers for the manga, takes place after Yakitate! 25 arc, 1st person POV from Meister Kirisaki, mentioned pairings

Constructive Criticism would be great, and I hope that you read, review and enjoy! Thanks!

Lucky

Poor, unfortunate man.

That's what I suppose some people may call me. It makes sense, considering that I have had a rough past. Getting abandoned by my father and losing my mother to illness doesn't really make it sound any better, either. Leaving my sister in France to find work in Japan doesn't help it as well.

Honestly, I don't think I really need to be pitied, or have to have any sympathy.

I'm not really as poor and unfortunate as others think. Not really, in my opinion.

Actually, I think I'm pretty lucky.

There are others that have had it worse off than me, after all. Have you not noticed? Do I need to list them all for you and explain every one, as if I need to treat you like an idiot who is too blind to see the details in the picture?

...My apologies. I didn't mean to-oh, never mind. Let me get started, alright? Hopefully the explanation won't take too long.

Sophie Kirisaki, my sister. She never met my father-he left when she was far too young to understand the kind, supporting man he was. She only saw the demon in him, when he devoured that bread in front of my sister and I. Don't get me wrong, I was shocked as well, but I knew inside that he could never be that bad. Never. It wasn't anything like him, and I knew back then something changed him somehow-of course, I didn't know what, but it was something.

I did my best to help her-it really wasn't easy taking on the role of a guardian before Gordon took us in. She was so angry at my father, so angry and confused-being the one that she vented to about it on those nights gave me a good idea of how she saw our father as-a demon. I tried to tell her, but it never worked. Maybe I should have stood my ground more on my views about my father, or shut her up as soon as she tried to bring up the subject, but she was my sister, and standing up against family members never felt right to me. Maybe the formation of the reason why she hated our father was my fault, for not standing up for him.

Another unfortunate soul is Yuiichi Kirisaki, my father. He left us. I don't know if he succeeded in creating a bread that the Japanese people will love, but he certainly has become an important figure in Japan. Owner of St. Pierre, one of the most famous bakeries in Japan-so successful he was. He left his family in the dust in the process.

Don't get me wrong-I, ahem, highly disapproved of him leaving my sister and I. I thought he would come back. And when he did, he-well, you know what he did. I'm sure he had regrets about that-if he didn't, he wouldn't be human. He had to have regrets about it-why else would he try to call me and Sophie ten years ago?

We didn't answer the call when it was for us. We never thought-what if he really wanted to say sorry? Maybe it was my fault for not picking up the phone despite my sister's protests. Maybe father would be better now, if my sister and I gave him the chance to speak to us.

Shigeru Kanmuri is another one who was unlucky. No, not in terms of intelligence-he was extremely lucky there. But with gifts like comes curses, too-in the form of jealous people like his older brother. Trying to break away from his family background wasn't too well taken with a lot of people, either. But the Harvard genius is less unlucky than others-he eventually did get his brother and father to realize how much his dreams meant to him.

Still, though, I'm sure that jealousy has stung him in the head for years. It might take an eternity to forget about that. I'm not sure.

There are countless people out there that are unlucky, but the most unlucky I have ever met are Monica Adenauer and Kai Suwabara. Adenauer's parents collapsed from overworking and worrying. Suwabara's father abandoned him. I don't know what happened with his mother, but considering it was all up to Suwabara alone to raise his siblings, I'm guessing that she left Suwabara before the father did, or she is dead. Both Adenaeur and Suwabara-san had to take care of themselves.

It's amazing, though-it's amazing how they are able to stay together, to support each other. It makes me wonder if I could ever do the same if I end up falling in love with someone someday, and that someone ends up in a terrible crisis. Could I support him or her the way they can?

...I don't know.

Enough about that. I need to wrap this up. I can't go on forever-even I can't linger on a subject like this for an eternity.

There are many unlucky people in this world, more unlucky than I have been.

I'm lucky. At least, I think I am.

Father is in the hospital because he collapsed. I don't have the nerve to see him-not after he manipulated me. Even if I do love him, and care for him, I-I just can't get myself to confront him.

Sister is in tears-she found our late mother's journal and knows what sort of man Father is. I don't know if I should call her to comfort her, tell her if everything is going to be okay. I don't know if everything is going to be okay, and I don't want to lie to her because that's just wrong.

Am I lucky, after all?

...I think my luck is running out.